Minister for Government Services
{{Short description|Australian cabinet position}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox official post
| border = parliamentary
| minister = not_prime
| post = Minister for Government Services
| insignia = Coat_of_Arms_of_Australia.svg
| insigniacaption = Commonwealth Coat of Arms
| flag = Flag of Australia (converted).svg
| flagcaption = Flag of Australia
| flagborder = yes
| incumbent = Katy Gallagher
| image = Katy Gallagher 2022.jpg
| incumbentsince = {{start date|2025|1|20|df=y}}
| style = The Honourable
| appointer = Governor-General
| appointer_qualified = on the advice of the prime minister
| inaugural = Frederick Stewart {{small|(as Minister for Social Services)}}
| formation = {{start date|1939|4|26|df=y}}
| department = Department of Social Services
Services Australia
| website = {{URL|https://ministers.dss.gov.au/katy-gallagher}}
}}
The Minister for Government Services is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for Services Australia. The current minister is Senator Katy Gallagher, who has held the position since 20 January 2025 following a cabinet reshuffle prompted by the retirement of the previous minister, Bill Shorten.{{cite web |title=Ministry changes |url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ministry-changes-16-jan-2025 |website=pm.gov.au |access-date=20 January 2025 |date=16 January 2025}}
The portfolio was given its current title in machinery of government changes ordered by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison following the 2019 federal election.{{cite news |last1=Donaldson |first1=David |title=Administrative orders: Home Affairs to grow |url=https://www.themandarin.com.au/109273-administrative-orders-home-affairs-to-grow/ |access-date=29 May 2019 |work=The Mandarin |date=29 May 2019}}
Scope
In the Government of Australia, the Minister is responsible for a number of welfare agencies and administers their portfolio through Services Australia and its component bodies:
The Department of Human Services was created on 26 October 2004, as part of the Finance Portfolio, to improve the development and delivery of Government social and health related services to the Australian people.
As a result of the Administrative Arrangements Orders (AAOs) issued on 30 January 2007, the Department of Human Services and its agencies were transferred to a newly created Human Services Portfolio.
The Minister for Government Services provides a central policy and coordination role for the delivery of services across the Portfolio as well as being the delivery agency for child support and vocational rehabilitation services. The AAOs of 25 January 2008 clarified the Department’s responsibility for the development of policy or service delivery, directed at ensuring the effective, innovative, and efficient delivery of Government services. The Department works with other departments and agencies to ensure early consideration of service delivery issues in the policy development process to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of service delivery by agencies in the Human Services Portfolio.
List of ministers for government services
There was a Minister for Social Services or Social Security continuously from 1939 to 1998, when service delivery was partially privatised and residual functions were transferred to the Minister for Finance and Administration. In 2004, the position of Minister for Human Services was recreated to handle the residual functions; Scott Morrison renamed the portfolio to Government Services in 2019.
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Government Services, or any precedent titles:{{cite press release|quote=Michael Keenan will join Cabinet as Minister for Human Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation - a central role in ensuring all Australians get the services they expect when dealing with the Government, particularly as more and more services shift online.|url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ministerial-arrangements-2|title=Ministerial Arrangements|date=20 December 2017|publisher=Government of Australia|author=Turnbull, Malcolm|author-link=Malcolm Turnbull|access-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313005337/https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ministerial-arrangements-2|archive-date=13 March 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;orderBy=customrank;page=2;query=Lazzarini;rec=12;resCount=Default |title=Ministries and Cabinets |work=43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament |publisher=Parliament of Australia |year=2010 |access-date=29 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813030853/http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p%3Badv%3Dyes%3BorderBy%3Dcustomrank%3Bpage%3D2%3Bquery%3DLazzarini%3Brec%3D12%3BresCount%3DDefault |archive-date=13 August 2014 }}
class="wikitable"
! width=5 | Order ! width=150 | Minister ! width=120 colspan="2" | Party affiliation ! width=75 | Prime Minister ! width=200 | Ministerial title ! width=150 | Term start ! width=150 | Term end ! width=130 | Term in office | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 1
| rowspan=2 | Frederick Stewart | rowspan=2 {{Australian party style|UAP}}| | rowspan=2 | United Australia | Menzies | rowspan=19 | Minister for Social Services | align=center | 26 April 1939 | align=center | 29 August 1941 | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in years and days|1939|4|26|1941|10|7}} | ||
Fadden
| align=center | 29 August 1941 | align=center | 7 October 1941 | ||
align=center| 2
| rowspan=5 {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan=5 | Labor | rowspan=2 | Curtin | align=center | 7 October 1941 | align=center | 21 September 1943 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1941|10|7|1943|9|21}} | ||
rowspan=3 align=center| 3
| rowspan=3 | James Fraser | align=center | 21 September 1943 | align=center | 6 July 1945 | rowspan=3 align=right | {{age in years and days|1943|9|21|1946|6|18}} | ||
Forde
| align=center | 6 July 1945 | align=center | 13 July 1945 | ||
rowspan=2 | Chifley
| align=center | 13 July 1945 | align=center | 18 June 1946 | ||
align=center| 4
| align=center | 18 June 1946 | align=center | 19 December 1949 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1946|6|18|1949|12|19}} | ||
align=center| 5
| rowspan=3 {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan=3 | Liberal | rowspan=6 | Menzies | align=center | 19 December 1949 | align=center | 11 May 1951 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1949|12|19|1951|5|11}} | ||
align=center| 6
| align=center | 11 May 1951 | align=center | 9 July 1954 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1951|5|11|1954|7|9}} | ||
align=center| 7
| align=center | 9 July 1954 | align=center | 28 February 1956 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1954|7|9|1956|2|28}} | ||
align=center| 8
| {{Australian party style|National}}| | Country | align=center | 28 February 1956 | align=center | 21 January 1965 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1956|2|28|1965|1|21}} | ||
align=center| 9
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal | align=center | 21 January 1965 | align=center | 22 February 1965 | align=right | {{age in days|1965|1|21|1965|2|22}} days | ||
rowspan=4 align=center| 10
| rowspan=4 | Ian Sinclair | rowspan=4 {{Australian party style|National}}| | rowspan=4 | Country | align=center | 22 February 1965 | align=center | 26 January 1966 | rowspan=4 align=right | {{age in years and days|1965|2|22|1968|2|28}} | ||
Holt
| align=center | 26 January 1966 | align=center | 19 December 1967 | ||
McEwen
| align=center | 19 December 1967 | align=center | 10 January 1968 | ||
rowspan=2 | Gorton
| align=center | 10 January 1968 | align=center | 28 February 1968 | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 11
| rowspan=2 | Bill Wentworth | rowspan=2 {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan=2 | Liberal | align=center | 28 February 1968 | align=center | 10 March 1971 | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in years and days|1968|2|28|1972|12|5}} | ||
McMahon
| align=center | 10 March 1971 | align=center | 5 December 1972 | ||
align=center| 12
| rowspan=3 {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan=3 | Labor | rowspan=3 | Whitlam | align=center | 5 December 1972 | align=center | 19 December 1972 | align=right | {{age in days|1972|12|5|1972|12|19}} days | ||
align=center| 13
| rowspan=12 | Minister for Social Security | align=center | 19 December 1972 | align=center | 6 June 1975 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1972|12|19|1975|6|6}} | ||
align=center| 14
| align=center | 6 June 1975 | align=center | 11 November 1975 | align=right | {{age in days|1975|6|6|1975|11|11}} days | ||
align=center| 15
| rowspan=3 {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan=3 | Liberal | rowspan=3 | Fraser | align=center | 12 November 1975 | align=center | 22 December 1975 | align=right | {{age in days|1975|11|12|1975|12|22}} days | ||
align=center| 16
| align=center | 22 December 1975 | align=center | 3 November 1980 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1975|12|22|1980|11|3}} | ||
align=center| 17
| align=center | 3 November 1980 | align=center | 11 March 1983 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1980|11|3|1983|3|11}} | ||
align=center| 18
| rowspan=6 {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan=6 | Labor | rowspan=3 | Hawke | align=center | 11 March 1983 | align=center | 13 December 1984 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1983|3|11|1984|12|13}} | ||
align=center| 19
| align=center | 13 December 1984 | align=center | 4 April 1990 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1984|12|13|1990|4|4}} | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 20
| rowspan=2 | Graham Richardson | align=center | 4 April 1990 | align=center | 20 December 1991 | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in years and days|1990|4|4|1991|12|27}} | ||
rowspan=3 | Keating
| align=center | 20 December 1991 | align=center | 27 December 1991 | ||
align=center| 21
| align=center | 27 December 1991 | align=center | 24 March 1993 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1991|12|27|1993|3|24}} | ||
align=center| 22
| align=center | 24 March 1993 | align=center | 11 March 1996 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1993|3|24|1996|3|11}} | ||
align=center| 23
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal | Howard | align=center | 11 March 1996 | align=center | 21 October 1998 | align=right | {{age in years and days|1996|3|11|1998|10|21}} | ||
colspan=9 style="background: #cccccc;" | | ||
---|---|---|
align=center| 24
| rowspan=3 {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan=3 | Liberal | rowspan=3 | Howard | rowspan=17 | Minister for Human Services | align=center | 26 October 2004 | align=center | 30 January 2007 | align=right | {{age in years and days|2004|10|26|2007|1|30}} | ||
align=center| 25
| align=center | 30 January 2007 | align=center | 9 March 2007 | align=right | {{age in days|2007|1|30|2007|3|9}} days | ||
align=center| 26
| align=center | 9 March 2007 | align=center | 3 December 2007 | align=right | {{age in days|2007|3|9|2007|12|3}} days | ||
align=center| 27
| rowspan=8 {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan=8 | Labor | rowspan=2 | Rudd | align=center | 3 December 2007 | align=center | 9 June 2009 | align=right | {{age in years and days|2007|12|3|2009|6|9}} | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 28
| rowspan=2 | Chris Bowen | align=center | 9 June 2009 | align=center | 24 June 2010 | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in years and days|2009|6|9|2010|9|14}} | ||
rowspan=5 | Gillard
| align=center | 24 June 2010 | align=center | 14 September 2010 | ||
align=center| 29
| align=center | 14 September 2010 | align=center | 14 December 2011 | align=right | {{age in years and days|2010|9|14|2011|12|14}} | ||
align=center| 30
| align=center | 14 December 2011 | align=center | 5 March 2012 | align=right | {{age in days|2011|12|14|2012|3|5}} days | ||
align=center| 31
| Kim Carr | align=center | 5 March 2012 | align=center | 23 March 2013 | align=right | {{age in years and days|2012|3|5|2013|3|23}} | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 32
| rowspan=2 | Jan McLucas | align=center | 23 March 2013 | align=center | 27 June 2013 | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in days|2013|3|23|2013|9|18}} days | ||
Rudd
| align=center | 27 June 2013 | align=center | 18 September 2013 | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 33
| rowspan=2 | Marise Payne | rowspan=8 {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan=8 | Liberal | Abbott | align=center | 18 September 2013 | align=center | 15 September 2015 | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in years and days|2013|09|18|2015|09|21}} | ||
rowspan=4 |Turnbull
| align=center | 15 September 2015 | align=center | 21 September 2015 | ||
align=center| 34
| align=center | {{start date|2015|09|21|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2016|2|12|df=y}} | align=right | {{age in years and days|2015|09|21|2016|2|12}} | ||
align=center| 35
| align=center | {{start date|2016|02|18|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2017|12|20|df=y}} | align=right | {{age in years and days|2016|02|18|2017|12|20}} | ||
rowspan=2 align=center| 36
| rowspan=2|Michael Keenan | align=center | {{start date|2017|12|20|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2018|08|24|df=y}} | rowspan=2 align=right | {{age in years and days|2017|12|20|2019|5|29|df=y}} | ||
rowspan=3| Morrison
| align=center | {{start date|2018|08|24|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2019|05|29|df=y}} | ||
align=center| (34)
| rowspan="4" | Minister for Government Services | align=center | {{start date|2019|05|29|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2021|03|30|df=y}} | align=right | {{age in years and days|2019|05|29|2021|03|30|df=y}} | ||
align=center| 37
| align=center | {{start date|2021|03|30|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2022|5|23|df=y}} | align=right | {{age in years and days|2021|03|30|2022|05|25|df=y}} | ||
align=center| 38
| rowspan=2 {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan=2| Labor | rowspan=2|Albanese | align=center | {{start date|2022|06|01|df=y}} | align=center | {{end date|2025|01|20|df=y}} | align=right |{{age in years and days|2022|06|01|2025|01|20|df=y}} | ||
align=center| 39
| align=center | {{start date|2025|01|20|df=y}} | Incumbent | align=right |{{age in years and days|2025|01|20 | df=y}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://ministers.dss.gov.au/bill-shorten}}
{{Australian federal ministerial portfolios}}